Why KD could follow Kyrie out the door; Lakers must act fast: NBA trade deadline state of play

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Kevin Durant – Brooklyn Nets

The NBA world was sent into a spin over the weekend when the bombshell dropped that superstar point guard Kyrie Irving had requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

Saturday’s report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania indicated that Irving would prefer to be traded prior to the trade deadline and that the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks were potential suitors for the Brooklyn Nets All-Star starter. It was then later reported that both the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers had thrown their hat in the ring for the superstar point guard.

The shock news set the NBA alight as pundits and fans were quick to share their reactions and executives leaguewide were sent into overdrive as they scrambled to consider making a move for the 30-year-old.

Despite receiving scathing criticism from the NBA media following his trade request, Irving got his wish earlier this morning when news dropped that he would be joining forces with Luka Doncic in Dallas.

The seismic trade is likely to have a massive ripple effect on the rest of the league as teams scurry to find their own meaningful trades ahead of Friday’s deadline that will boost their title chances.

The other consideration of this bombshell trade is how the Nets other superstar Kevin Durant will react to losing his running mate and whether it will have an effect on Brooklyn’s strategy moving forward with more moves expected to come.

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes says the Suns are prepared to pursue Durant should he become available.

This follows earlier reports by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that both Kevin Durant and the entire Nets organisation were caught off guard by Irving’s trade request and that rival teams were monitoring how this decision may impact KD’s future in Brooklyn considering his own trade request this past offseason.

However, in the wake of the Irving trade, The Athletic’s John Hollinger suggested the Nets may end up moving both new additions before the trade deadline.

“Thing that wouldn’t shock me: If Nets hold up trade call for 24-48 hours to see if they can make it 3-way deal and flip Dinwiddie+DFS+Mavs pick into another star,” he tweeted.

“Once trade call happens, can’t aggregate Dinwiddie+DFS.”

A move like that could be enough for Brooklyn to ensure Durant stays with the Nets otherwise there is every chance he now pushes for a trade before the deadline with Irving gone.

Wojnarowski shared a similar sentiment when appearing on ‘Talking NBA’ on Monday morning.

“Now for Brooklyn, they wanna get back to work. They’ve got the three draft picks they got in this trade, they’ve got a future Philadelphia first-round pick and they’ll be aggressive with those picks to go out between now and (Friday’s) trade deadline to try and get more help around Kevin Durant,” he said.

“Quite honestly this is an organisation that wants Kevin Durant to stay committed, to stay the course with this reshaping of the roster. They’re gonna continue between now and (Friday) to do that.”

The Athletic’s Shams Charania’s report said his sources also believed this to be the case.

However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes that it is a very real possibility that Durant follows Irving out the door in Brooklyn.

“By the way, I’m hearing that he’s (Durant) on the verge of potentially being moved,” Smith said on ‘First Take’.

“Obviously we’ve all been speculating about that, that he may be moved.

“I’ve been on the phone, I’m hearing Boston is making some calls.

“Keep your eye on that, Jaylen Brown (in return for KD), keep your eye on that.”

Meanwhile, FS1’s Shannon Sharpe thinks that Durant will want out as a result of being unhappy with the talent left on the Nets roster after Irving’s departure but doubts that a deal can get done in the next few days.

“I don’t know if they’re gonna move KD, but I don’t think they’re gonna move KD by (Friday), which is the trade deadline,” Sharpe said on ‘Undisputed’.

“But you best believe come this summer… I think he is gonna circle back and (request another trade).”

Sharpe’s co-host Skip Bayless shared a similar sentiment.

“You (still) have a credible Nets team that I doubt he’ll be happy with because there’s no longer the Harden/Kyrie superstar power,” Bayless added.

Only time will tell whether the Nets front office can successfully convince KD that they will be able to surround him with the requisite talent to contend for a title in the near future or whether he will request another trade out of Brooklyn either ahead of Friday’s deadline or in the offseason.

One thing that is certain is that the entire NBA world will be waiting with bated breath to see if a deal for KD materialises before Friday’s deadline.

Russell Westbrook – Los Angeles Lakers

Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions.

After spending the majority of the start of the season dealing with speculation surrounding his future with the LA Lakers and being constantly linked to trades – most notably a proposed deal for Indiana’s Myles Turner and Buddy Hield – it was increasingly looking like Russell Westbrook was set to remain in Southern California until at least the end of the season after both he and the team had turned their form around.

However, things appear to have shifted with Chris Haynes reporting the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz had exploratory conversations centred around the former league MVP.

According to Haynes, the belief within the Lakers’ organisation is that they need to make at least one more move by Friday’s trade deadline to give themselves a legitimate shot at competing for a championship.

Just hours later, Westbrook was then linked to a deal for Kyrie Irving once the Nets superstar’s bombshell trade request was reported.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jovan Buha, the Lakers offered the Nets Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in a deal for the wantaway Irving but Brooklyn wanted more — including both Austin Reaves and Max Christie — and LA weren’t interested in that.

With Irving now headed to Dallas to team up with Luka Doncic, it leaves Westbrook in limbo while the Lakers scramble to try and find a meaningful trade which can provide LeBron James and Anthony Davis – who are both in the midst of historic seasons – with the support needed to push the team back into championship contention.

The Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz have “repeatedly popped up” as backup options, according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.

“Both teams have been lined to the Lakers in recent weeks and have starter-level players who have been rumoured to be available,” Buha said.

“However, talks remain preliminary and nothing is imminent.”

In terms of which Jazz players could be on the table, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reports it “would almost certainly” include Malik Beasley, Mike Conley and Jarred Vanerbilt, with Westbrook heading the other way.

As for a Raptors player that the Lakers could eye up, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt linked the franchise with a swoop for Toronto’s Fred VanVleet.

Revisiting a potential deal with the Utah Jazz, who have overachieved so far this season, but could look to trade away some of their valuable players in order to accelarate their rebuilding process seems like the most likely option for Rob Pelinka to achieve by Friday.

FS1’s Nick Wright outlined over the weekend what he believes a potential deal between the Lakers and Jazz could look like during a segment on ‘First Things First’.

“Lakers receive (Mike) Conley, (Jordan) Clarkson, and (Collin) Sexton in exchange forRuss and you give up the two unprotected first (round draft picks in 2027 and 2029),” he said.

“Or if the Jazz push back on that, you switch out Collin Sexton and you put Malik Beasley in that place instead.”

An earlier report by Yahoo Sport’s Jake Fischer claimed that the Charlotte Hornets were a possible trade partner for the Lakers to consider, with Terry Rozier’s name linked to a potential Westbrookdeal.

Westbrook said in his post-game press conference yesterday that he was unfazed by rumours the franchise were considering trading him and that no matter what happens he will continue to show up and put in 100% effort on the court.

The trade speculation surrounding the Lakers and Westbrook is sure to intensify as we get closer to Friday’s deadline, especially after Lebron James’ cryptic tweet in the wake of the Irving trade.

We will have to wait and see whether Rob Pelinka can find a deal before Friday that moves the needle this season – Toronto guard Fred VanVleet, Utah’s Mike Conley, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and Houston’s Eric Gordon have all been mentioned in the past month as possible targets – or whether, if the right deal doesn’t present itself, they hold out in the hope that Irving walks away from the Mavericks in free agency this summer and joins LeBron and AD in L.A.

Chris Paul / Jae Crowder – Phoenix Suns

With new management, comes new strategy.

The Phoenix Suns are set for an aggressive approach to the trade deadline under new owner Mat Ishbia, with the team “expected to be incredibly active over the next several days to add to the roster”, according to a report by Shams Charania.

Charania said the Suns are determined to build around Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, but that “the future of Chris Paul is uncertain”.

This follows an earlier report by Chris Haynes claiming the Suns offered Chris Paul, Jae Crowder and unspecified picks for Kyrie Irving, but the Brooklyn Nets ultimately chose the Dallas Mavericks’ package instead.

Paul, who turns 38 in May, is a shock inclusion as up for trade considering just how integral the veteran has been to the organisation’s recent success and the fact that he is still under contract for another two seasons.

However, when you look a bit deeper it is easy to see why Phoenix would at least be open to moving their star point guard.

For starters, the team is currently in fifth place in the Western conference with a 29-26 record on the season but are looking a shadow of the team which has been on the verge of winning a championship the last few seasons.

Furthermore, only roughly half of his $30.8 million ($A44.5m) salary is guaranteed next season. In 2024-25, none of Paul’s salary is guaranteed.

Then when you consider his recent injury history and diminished production this season, it just makes sense that CP3’s name has been floated in trade discussions.

After all you’ve gotta give a little to get a little, especially for a player as talented as Kyrie Irving.

Paul is averaging 13.8 points, 8.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.4 steals this season –while shooting at 43.5 per cent from the field, 38.9 per cent from three and 82.2 per cent from the free throw line – making him an attractive piece for a team in contention.

A much more likely trade option for the Suns prior to Friday’s deadline is to finally move on from disgruntled forward Jae Crowder.

Crowder, who is yet to play this season after requesting a trade back in September following a breakdown in contract extension talks, is in the final year of a three-year, $29m ($43.7m AUD) contract but has sat out all this season amid the Suns attempts to find a trade partner.

The former second-round draft pick had been a productive member of a Phoenix team that made back-to-back deep playoff runs, including a 2021 NBA finals appearance, over the last two seasons.

The 32-year-old veteran is a proven playoff performer and therefore could be a valuable acquisition for teams looking to make a title push to play the three-and-d role in their rotation, with Milwaukee, Miami and Atlanta all reportedly interested.

The Suns reportedly granted the Bucks permission to meet with Crowder, according to a report by The Athletic earlier this week. However, according to local sports radio host John Gambadoro, they aren’t the only ones.

Phoenix have been linked to moves for Toronto’s OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet as well as reportedly expressing interest in going after Kevin Durant should he become available. This follows their pursuit of KD following his trade request this past offseason.

A deal with either the Raptors or the Nets would likely be centred around draft picks as trading away those players would likely signal both franchises intention to begin a mini-rebuild, however both Toronto and Brooklyn could involve a third team in any deal who is in championship contention and could use veterans such as Paul and Crowder in return for further draft picks.

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John Collins / Bogdan Bogdanovic – Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks made headlines this offseason with a big trade with the Spurs that saw them add star guard Dejounte Murray to a roster that already featured a number of big names. The Hawks came into the season optimistic that the addition of Murray would help them make another deep playoff run, similar to their Eastern Conference Finals appearance back in 2021, but thus far Atlanta have performed like a side that is stuck in the middle.

Prior to yesterday’s win over the Utah Jazz, the Hawks had a 26-26 overall record, were 17-17 against the East, were 9-9 against the West, and had both scored and allowed exactly 6,057 points. Stuck languishing in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, Atlanta could be looking to make some moves ahead of the deadline.

Despite being in only the second season of a five-year, $125 million ($A180.6m) extension and averaging a productive 13.3 ppg and 8.1 rpg, forward John Collins is continually mentioned in trade rumours as the team are reportedly keen to dump his salary. Could this finally be the trade period where the Hawks pull the trigger on a move for the 25-year-old? We will have to wait and see.

Another Atlanta player who appears to be garnering significant interest leaguewide is wing Bogdan Bogdanovic.

The 30-year-old has missed 25 games for the Hawks this season following knee surgery last May, but is a more than handy pickup for any potential championship contender looking for a three-and-d player.

It has previously been reported that the Phoenix Suns were interested in Bogdanovic as a like for like replacement for the wantaway Jae Crowder, but a recent report by The Athletic revealed that about half the league had inquired as to his availability. More recently there has been speculation that the Lakers may turn their attention to Bogdanovic following their failed pursuit of Irving.

OG Anunoby / Gary Trent Jr. / Fred VanVleet – Toronto Raptors

A perplexing team that is hard to get a read on ahead of the trade deadline is the Toronto Raptors, who have somehow gone from an exciting young team full of talent and promise to a team that appears to have reached their ceiling in their current makeup and as a result become stuck in mediocrity.

Sitting a lowly 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, thanks to a disappointing 24-30 overall record, the Raptors are likely a team that could be sellers near the trade deadline as their front office is notorious for being bold and creative.

Outside of second-year forward Scottie Barnes and maybe Pascal Siakam, who is still young and having a career year, you’d have to think that general manager Masai Ujiri would be listening to offers for everyone else on the roster.

There are three players who stand out as being the most likely to get traded for the right price, either individually or as part of a package for a superstar player – say someone the calibre of Kevin Durant should he become available. After all Toronto did pursue KD this past offseason.

Even if the Nets aren’t willing to part with Durant, the picks they received as part of the Irving trade package with Dallas gives them valuable pieces to offer the Raptors for one or more of their young stars.

Firstly, there’s been plenty of chatter around a trade centred around veteran wing OG Anunoby, with the 25-year-old averaging 18.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 2.3 steals per game so far this season. Standing at 6-foot-7 with an ability to dribble, pass and shoot as well as provide elite on-ball defence, Anunoby is a player in high demand. Toronto could look to capitalise on this and demand a haul in return prior to the trade deadline, with The Athletic reporting that the Suns are interested while previous reports had indicated that the Knicks are willing to part with multiple first-round picks.

Contending teams looking for a productive three-and-d option to help their championship push could come calling for the Raptors’ Gary Trent Jr, with the 24-year-old guard averaging 18.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 1.6 apg while shooting 37.6 per cent from beyond the arc.

Toronto’s offence this season has been heavily reliant on the former Duke product, but with Trent Jr. highly likely to turn down his $18.6 million ($A26.9m) player option this offseason, the team must weigh up keeping his Bird rights versus what they may be able to get in the trade market.

The third player that Ujiri is likely to consider trading is point guard Fred VanVleet. Despite

VanVleet being relatively young still (not yet 29) and also one of the best players in franchise history, he is almost a lock to decline his $22.8 million ($A32.9m) player option for next season and therefore become a free agent this offseason. The 2016 NBA champion is in line to make more than Toronto is allowed to offer him on an extension.

Nagging back issues have seen VanVleet’s efficiency dip this season, but at just 28-years-old, he could still be a key pillar on the next Raptors championship contending team. However, if the front office isn’t prepared to write the kind of cheque required to keep VanVleet around that long then they could assess the trade market for the former Auburn product and possibly use the likely haul of assets received in return to build a deeper, more balanced roster.

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DeMar DeRozan / Zach LaVine– Chicago Bulls

Chicago finds itself in a precarious position.

Over the last few years, the Bulls’ front office gave up numerous assets and sizeable contracts to acquire DeMar DeRozan from the Spurs, Lonzo Ball from the Pelicans, Nikola Vucevic from the Magic, and Alex Caruso via free agency.

These moves were designed to surround their young franchise star Zach LaVine with the necessary pieces to make a championship run.

After finishing last season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, expectations were high heading into this season despite the bitter taste of a first-round playoff exit still lingering.

However, Chicago have taken a big step backwards so far this season as they currently sit in 9th place with a disappointing 25-27 record.

That leaves the organisation in the unenviable position of having to make an incredibly tough decision: stay the course and have faith this group can turn things around, or alternatively, admit that this group has reached their ceiling and look to reset the roster.

If the answer is the latter, then team general manager Marc Eversley will likely be forced to make another difficult decision as to which of his two franchise stars to trade and therefore which to keep and reshape the roster around.

Veteran star DeMar DeRozan is currently in his 14th season in the NBA since being drafted by the Toronto Raptors back in 2009.

Despite being 33-years-old, DeRozan has looked reinvigorated since arriving in the Windy City at the end of the 2020/21 season, asserting himself as the team’s top scorer and unquestioned best player to breathe new life into his career.

DeRozan is averaging 26.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in his second season with the Bulls and has also increased his efficiency compared to last season.

However, with DeRozan set to be eligible for a four-year extension worth more than $150 million ($A216.7m) in the upcoming offseason and Chicago currently in a battle just to make the play-in tournament, the organisation may feel now is the right time to cash in with the California native’s value at an all-time high.

The Bulls’ other star player, Zach LaVine, is averaging almost identical numbers to DeRozan (24 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals) and is also six year’s younger so it makes more sense for the organisation to keep the 27-year-old as their franchise cornerstone moving forward.

However, despite the fact that LaVine just signed a max contract, reports had surfaced earlier this season that LaVine and the organisation weren’t on the same page and that he had also met privately with DeRozan on multiple occasions to discuss their on-court issues, according to The Athletic.

If these reports were indeed accurate and LaVine, DeRozan, and the organisation are still yet to work out their differences, then the door is well and truly still open for LaVine to be traded before Friday’s deadline in return for a huge haul which can allow the team to build a more balanced roster around DeRozan or even kickstart a complete overhaul with an eye to the future.

Mike Conley / Jordan Clarkson – Utah Jazz

It’s been a strange year for the Utah Jazz and Danny Ainge to say the least.

First they signalled their intention to blow their roster up completely and enter a full rebuild after trading away long-time franchise cornerstones Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell this past offseason in exchange for an unprecedented haul of players and picks in return.

As a result, the expectation leading into this season both from the Jazz fanbase and those around the league was that Utah would be a leading contender in the Wembanyama sweepstakes.

However, apparently the team, and in particular their new players, didn’t quite get that memo as they started the season on fire – going 11-6 – before tapering off more recently as they’ve lost 21 of their last 37 games to sit in 9th place in the Western Conference with a 27-27 record overall.

While the Jazz have undoubtedly overachieved thus far this season and have been one of the league’s feel good stories, battling it out for a play-in spot only hinders the organisation in the long run and unnecessarily delays their inevitable rebuilding process.

Therefore, look for Danny Ainge to do what he does best in the leadup to Friday’s deadline – wheel and deal.

Fortunately for Ainge he has plenty of valuable trade chips to dangle in the hope of adding to the team’s treasure chest of draft picks.

Despite still being a key contributor to Utah’s offence this season, veteran point guard Mike Conley is one obvious name which has come up as potentially being on the move sooner rather than later considering he’s now 35 years old and won’t be part of the organisation’s next championship push.

Conley could be the missing piece on a contending team this season and the return the Jazz would receive in exchange can help accelerate their rebuild.

Another valuable contributor for Utah which doesn’t quite fit their age profile moving forward is 2020 NBA sixth-man-of-the-year Jordan Clarkson.

The 30-year-old guard has been elevated to a starting role this season and has grabbed the opportunity with both hands, averaging more assists (on a per-minute basis) than he has since he was running point for the Lakers, and scoring more efficiently than he has for the past couple of seasons.

Clarkson has a $14.3 million ($A20.7m) player option for next season, which he is likely to opt out of should his improved play this season continue.

The Jazz reportedly love having the former second-round draft pick around and are eager to sign him to a contract extension, according to The Athletic.

However, with Utah entering rebuild mode they may not be willing to meet the higher price tag that Clarkson will likely command on the open market and therefore may choose to trade him prior to Friday’s deadline in return for draft compensation rather than risk losing him for nothing via free agency this upcoming offseason.